Breaking the Chains

Page 24

The writings of John could contain information about the original Christian religion even though a Johannine school or circle somewhere in the East, at the end of the first century AD, may have produced all of the Johannine material. John’s Gospel contains traces of eyewitness accounts and accurate knowledge of Palestine. Although the author of John’s Gospel was aware of part of the tradition behind the Synoptic Gospels, there is no Eucharist celebration of the Last Supper in his Gospel. Instead, John uses that occasion to have Jesus promise to pray to the Father to send them the Spirit of truth. In John it is the Jews who are the enemies of Jesus and his church. The many differences between the Synoptics and John can be summarized as follows: in the Synoptics there is a waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus (the Parousia) to fulfil end-time (eschatological) expectations, but in John the eschatology is realized and eternal life is already present - for Paul, also, the new age was still to come. Johannine theology is very similar to the outlook criticized by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians; the contrast between Paul and John is still more obvious if one accepts John contains added material designed to change his realized eschatology into the futuristic eschatology favoured by Paul and the Synoptics.

Paul warned his followers to have nothing to do with Star-Spirits. However, an unusual star is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, the second letter of Peter, and Revelation. In Revelation the morning star is promised as a reward to those who ‘overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end’. ‘And I will give him the morning star.’ John has Jesus identify himself as ‘the bright and morning star.’ John is saying Jesus will share himself with successful Christians. He will make himself known in the shape of a star. A visual experience is implied. Jesus will appear as the morning star. A morning star experience is probably indicated by Acts, chapter 2, verse 3: ‘And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.’ The morning star is a popular motif in Christian art. It is often five-pointed, with each point or tongue having its own colour: red, green, yellow, etc. It is unlikely that a morning star experience lies behind Paul’s conversion or calling, detailed in Acts, chapter 9 and elsewhere, which features ‘a light from heaven’ which ‘shined round about him’. Clearly, the religions of Paul and John are very different. It is possible the ‘morning star’ of Christianity is related to the star of Ishtar: Goddess to Sargon, the first Semitic empire Builder. Some traditions mention Ishtar as the daughter of Sin, moon god of Ur: the city from which Abraham and his people came.

The last book in the Bible, Revelation, is also regarded as the work of John. It contains various visions and prophecies. From this book comes the beast whose number is 666. It is usual to assume John intended Christians to identify Nero as the beast. However, as John regarded the Jewish authorities as enemies of Jesus and his followers, it is more fruitful to suppose John intended Christians to identify Israel as the beast. The idea of a beast that was, was not when Revelation was written, but which would ascend out of the bottomless pit, draws upon prophecies predicting an end-time reconstitution of Israel. Israel is both a beast (political entity) and a man (Jacob). The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, I, which also points to Israel, can be arrived at via the number 666. Two other numbers can be arrived at via the number 666 and the Book of Daniel: 1956 and 2001.

Revelation mentions two beasts. The second beast has horns like a lamb, and he ‘causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.’ This beast ‘doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.’ He is also a false prophet making miracles before the first beast. John intended Christians to identify Paul as the second beast. John’s fire from heaven in the sight of men reference refers to Paul’s conversion as it is recorded in Acts. One prophecy made by Paul is the saving of all Israel. John predicts the beast (Israel) will enter perdition (eternal death). John would have seen Paul’s prediction as a false prophecy.

The harlot who sits upon the first beast is Jerusalem, that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth: the city that the prophets called a whore. Jerusalem is the city where YHWH, God of the universe, had his house. A second Jerusalem is mentioned in Revelation. This Jerusalem has different coloured foundations and a light as clear as crystal. It descends out of heaven from God. Nothing that defileth or worketh abomination or maketh a lie will be able to enter New Jerusalem. The inhabitants of New Jerusalem will reign forever and ever. It is lit by the glory of God. The glory of God is portrayed as rainbow light (seen round the throne of God and elsewhere). Greek, Norse, and other traditions associate rainbow light with the gods. It can also be thought of as fire from heaven.